Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

Chapter 1

I was dead.

I bit the dust the night he forced me to lure a killer all to protect his new flame. After I kicked the bucket, they turned my body into an exhibit and stuck me in a glass display case for eternity.

But Dexter Fitzgerald just lost his marbles.

Sea City, the Fitzgerald Mansion

couldn’t figure out why my spirit ended up back at this joint after I took a big sleep.

“Still no word from Phoebe? It’s been days,” Dexter’s mother Hailey muttered under her breath as she parked on the couch. “That kid’s always been a goody two shoes; she wouldn’t just ghost my calls. What if something’s happened to her?”

I was the Fitzgerald family’s adopted girl, shipped over to their pad when I was eighteen.

My mom was Hailey’s BFF. After my folks passed away in a car wreck, she scooped me up and brought me to the Fitzgeralds.

“Mom, just let it be. She’s a big girl; what could possibly go wrong?” Dexter was getting antsy and glancing at the time. “Today’s Melody’s birthday bash–I gotta jet.”

Watching Dexter, I couldn’t help but snicker at myself. Like he’d give a damn if I was dead or alive.

Back in the day, we were the childhood sweethearts everybody raved about. Me, always following him around; him, always holding my hand.

ead

He said he dug me, and then like a complete idiot, I fell head over heels for him for a whole decade.

Turned out young love was paper thin. When Dexter met his true love, all the feelings we had went up in smoke in the blink of an eye.

“Dexter… With that serial killer jazz going around targeting young, pretty girls, I’ve got this twitch in my eye and my heart’s racing non–stop. Hit up Phoebe, tell her I miss her,” Hailey was. on edge and pleaded quietly.

soothing and caring for me like

wanted to comfort her, to give her a hug, but I couldn’t do squat

worse… I was the reason

up, arms outstretched, trying to embrace her, but I

hung up on you even if she

1/3

1. hard–on.” Dexter was loaded with disgust as he

kidnappers. I played the decoy like

right before he passed out, “Phoebe, I’ll always be good

gone, I was just the ingrate he’s

stood in front of him, mocking myself. “Turns out I’ve always been nothing but an ungrateful woman

childhood sweethearts

voice icy. “Cut the childhood sweethearts crap. Why I gottal marry her just because we grew up together? She’s delusional by using

swung at him but hit

and laid hands on me in bed. And he also had the nerve to claim I played

but to tag along to

we walked in, Dexter’s buddies started calling Melody ‘Mrs. Fitzgerald!”

Dexter broke the bank to

presenting his gift amid cheers from the

news from Phoebe?” Melody asked quietly

guy, huh? Weren’t you the one who did me in?”

the vibe by bringing her

smiled, “She’s still your sister, after all. Don’t be like that.”

almost got you killed and you’re still sticking up for her?

too nice.”

cutesy in his arms. “I don’t

explain. “I didn’t do it! I never hurt her, and it was her! She’s the

hear a thing.

madwoman. I suddenly felt drained after getting my throat dry by